


Fireflies

by SpiritWolf00



Category: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: During Rise of the Tomb Raider, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, I Don't Even Know, Post Rise of the Tomb Raider, Survival, What-If, rise of the tomb raider
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:30:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritWolf00/pseuds/SpiritWolf00
Summary: Another long, uncomfortable silence fell between them. The commander’s eyes were still locked onto hers, making her feel uneasy.She couldn’t help but wonder how long that truce would’ve lasted. How long until she had found herself with his hands wrapped around her neck. The mere thought made her shiver, and he noticed that.





	1. Fireflies

They made a mess. What was she thinking? Escaping from a heavily guarded prison with a total stranger? When did that sound like a good idea?

So now there she was, stumbling through the snow in a desperate attempt of losing the Trinity soldiers that were after her.

Konstantin was among them, she knew that. She heard him shouting orders and cursing the rising storm.

But why were they after her? The other man… Jacob, was it? He seemed to know a lot about the vale, the remnants and their history. He was obviously a valuable source of information, so why weren’t they chasing him? Was she really that big of a threat?

Lara cried out in pain as she tripped over her own feet, falling face first in the deep snow.

Shit. Shit. Shit. She needed to get back up, fast.

Panting, Lara jumped back on her feet. The storm was getting worse and worse by the second, making it even more difficult for her to move… And for Trinity to follow her, hopefully.

But she needed to find shelter. She couldn’t keep running.

Luckily, it didn’t take her long to find a cave. She didn’t have any weapon on her but she had to take the risk. She didn’t have any other option.

Slowly, but surely, she made her way inside, using the rock wall to guide her in the darkness.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the end of it and, exhausted, she sagged down on the wet floor.

It was humid in there, but at least it was warmer and safer. She didn’t hear or smell anything that could indicate the presence of an animal and, even if they were still looking for her, Trinity would’ve never found her there.

She only wished she had something to warm herself with. She was tired and cold and, in that comforting darkness, it was difficult for her to keep her eyes open, even if she knew she couldn’t risk falling asleep.

 

A sudden noise made her quickly stand to her feet. She must’ve had fallen asleep anyways, because she couldn’t remember how much time had passed.

The good side was that she wasn’t that cold anymore, the bad side was that someone or something had found her.

As quietly as possible, Lara crouched in a corner and kept still. The cave was dark and that would’ve definitely played to her advantage, she thought.

But her hopes were shattered when she saw a flashlight light her makeshift den.

“K-Konstantin” she muttered, startled, when she realised who the man in front of her was.

Shit. How? How did he find her? How did he survive in that terrific storm? But, most importantly, what was she going to do?

She didn’t have any weapons, not even a stick or a stone and he could easily beat her in unarmed combat.

Terrified, Lara gulped and slowly stood up. It couldn’t end like that. She had come so far…

Before she could say or do anything, though, the commander sank to his knees, falling face first on the rocky floor.

Croft couldn’t believe her eyes. Was he… dead?

Slowly and carefully, she approached him and checked his pulse. He was frozen, yes, but he was definitely still alive.

Shit. What the hell was she supposed to do?

She obviously couldn’t stay there but the storm was still raging outside.

“Fuck me” she cursed as she ran a trembling hand over her face. She was stuck.

The least she could do was make sure that Konstantin and her were on the same level.

With a sigh, Lara knelt beside him and took his flashlight, then she quickly searched him.

Oddly enough, he didn’t seem to have any weapons on him. He did have a lighter, though, and a pretty bad gash on his jaw. His jacket was in bad shape as well.

What the hell had happened to him?

It didn’t matter, she resolved. She needed to find a way to warm him up.

Leaving him there to die was a tempting idea, but she knew she was better than that. Plus, they had better odds of surviving together… If they didn’t kill each other.

Croft sighed again at the thought, then she started to explore the cave.

She was surprised to find out that it was way bigger than she originally had thought. And, apparently, someone else had found shelter there a long time before, as she found a couple of old, woollen blankets, a deer pelt and some dry wood.

It wasn’t much, but she was grateful for it.

She was also grateful that, when she came back, Konstantin was still passed out.

Gently and carefully, she laid a blanket over him, then she worked on getting a fire started.

It felt weird, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She just hoped the storm would stop before he came to.

 

A couple of hours had passed and the storm had only gotten worse. Lara sighed as she looked at the man next to her. He looked so peaceful in that moment. She could only hope that it would’ve stayed that way even once he was awake.

After all, she did save him. And she even bothered taking care of his wounds.

Suddenly, a groan interrupted her thoughts. Shit. He was coming to.

Lara held her breath as she watched him open his eyes and abruptly sit up.

“Easy” she couldn’t help but say, against her better judgement. “Don’t push yourself”

Konstantin raised his glacial eyes on her and stared at her, just like a wolf stares at his prey.

They spent a long time like that, eyes locked as they studied each other in silence.

They obviously didn’t trust each other, but Konstantin was still too weak and Lara was still afraid.

After all, she did see him blind one of his own lieutenants without even blinking. God knows what he could’ve done to her.

“How… How are you feeling?” she finally asked after what seemed like an eternity.

The commander didn’t answer. His icy eyes were still on her, piercing her soul.

Then, slowly, he ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He was tired and every single part of his body ached.

“What happened?” his voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper.

Lara let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. She wasn’t out of the woods, but at least he didn’t seem interested in killing her… yet.

“I-... You just walked in here and collapsed. I was afraid you might-”

A bitter chuckle interrupted her. Lara tilted her head to the side as she looked at the man in front of her, confused by his sudden amusement.

“Don’t play with me, Croft. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. You would’ve been glad if I had died”

Lara couldn’t help a sad smile. She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking about what to say.

“Look, Konstantin… I… We don’t have to pretend that we wouldn’t gladly kill each other, but right now… We need each other” she started, sighing then once again when she met the skeptical gaze of the other.

“The storm is still raging outside and there’s not enough dry wood to keep the fire going. I found some blankets and a pelt, but if the storm doesn’t pass...I don’t know if they’ll be enough for us to get through the night”

Konstantin’s face was impossible to read and Lara didn’t want to press him into talking, afraid that he might lose his temper.

Another long, uncomfortable silence fell between them. The commander’s eyes were still locked onto hers, making her feel uneasy.

She couldn’t help but wonder how long that truce would’ve lasted. How long until she had found herself with his hands wrapped around her neck. The mere thought made her shiver, and he noticed that.

“How long have we been here?” he asked as he ran a finger over his jaw, feeling the wetness of the antiseptic that Lara had applied to his gash. Her consideration surprised him.

She didn’t have to save him and, less of all, tend to his wounds, yet she did it anyway. Why?

He wouldn’t have done the same for her and she knew that well. Hell, he probably would’ve killed her on the spot.

“A few hours” Lara answered as she stretched her hands towards the fire “Don’t-... Don’t touch it. It’s a pretty bad cut and I don’t have any more antiseptic”

Konstantin couldn’t help a soft smile. She was so… innocent. How did a girl like her survive all the shit that she was put through? She had every right to be furious at the world and yet she wasn’t. She was gentle and caring and… What the hell was he thinking?

Was he praising Croft? The girl that almost blew him up in Syria?

“By the way… How did you get that? And your jacket… It was all torn, too”  Lara added and the commander immediately tensed up.

He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. He would’ve wanted to cut their little chat short, to keep his facade of unstoppable soldier up, but he couldn’t bring himself to. She had saved his life, he owed her a little decency.

“A bear” he simply answered, raising once again his gaze on her “I lost most of my equipment, but I managed to kill it in the end”

Lara kept quiet for a while. Just a few days before she too had had to fight a bear, so she knew just how tough of a fight it must’ve been.

The only difference was that he also had to endure a fierce storm as he looked for shelter… And he wasn’t that young either.

He was really lucky to be alive, she realised. Somehow, that revelation made her respect him a little more. He was kinda badass. Almost like a psychotic version of Roth.

Maybe they could’ve gotten along. They weren’t that different after all.

“The fire is running out” Konstantin suddenly pointed out, bringing Lara back to reality.

Croft stared at the dancing flames for a moment, then she looked back at the commander.

“I-... We don’t have any more wood” she replied, “And we can’t go outside to gather more. Maybe we could use a blanket as fuel”

Konstantin scoffed at the idea. They would’ve definitely needed both blankets, especially if the fire ran out.

“Come here” he said and glanced at the free spot next to him.

Lara visibly tensed up and her eyes widened in surprise. What the hell was he proposing?

Why did he want her that close?

“It’s not-... I’m not-...” Konstantin tried to explain, embarrassed by her reaction “We can share our body heat even without taking our clothes off, Croft”

That answer made Lara blush deeply. She could feel her face burning up despite the freezing temperature.

She never thought about having sex with him and when confronted with the idea, she didn’t really know how to react or what to think.

Unsure about what to say, she stood up and took the spare blanket before joining him.

It was weird, staying that close to him, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. He was warm and had an unexpectedly sweet smell, which made her relax a little.

“Don’t get any weird ideas” he murmured against her hair, then he slowly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer.

A thrill ran through her.  

‘Get over yourself, Lara. We’re both just trying to survive” she thought, but that didn’t really reassure her.

They were both dangerous people, but if she was a fearless wolf, Konstantin was a fierce lion. She knew she couldn’t let her guard down.

The commander, on the other hand, appeared to be way more relaxed than she was.

He was just sitting there, staring blankly at the fire. He looked so peaceful, harmless even.

There was no more hatred in his blue eyes.

Lara couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside his head. Was he grateful for what she had done for him? Or was he just thinking about what to do with her?

Could she trust him with her life, even just for a single night?

“We should lay down the pelt that you found” he suddenly said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “We can sleep on it and use the blankets as cover. It should be enough to keep us warm even without the fire”

Croft tilted her head as she listened to him. It sounded like a good idea and she was exhausted, but, again, she still didn’t trust him enough to sleep right next to him.

He seemed to have read her mind.

“I won’t harm you, Lara” he sighed  “You have my word”

It felt weird hearing him calling her by her name, but she liked the thrill that it caused.

She didn’t know why she was feeling what she was feeling. Maybe it was just Stockholm Syndrome. But she wasn’t her captive… Was she?

“I won’t harm you either” she whispered as she stared into his blue eyes.

That answered made the commander scoff again, but Lara could swear she had seen a small smile appear on his lips immediately after.

Slowly, Konstantin got up and laid the pelt down next to the fire, leaving Croft alone in her chilly corner.

She would’ve never admitted it, but she instantly missed his warmth. No, there was no way she would’ve slept alone that night. It was way too cold, even with the blanket on.

“Do you think it will stop overnight?” Lara asked as she joined him on their improvised bed, pointing at the cave entrance with a nod of her head. The blizzard was still furiously raging outside and the wind howled like a ferocious beast in the night.

Konstantin didn’t answer. He just laid down next to her and wrapped both blankets around them.

Again, Croft couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. Konstantin was right behind her and she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck.

‘He won’t harm me’ she repeated herself in her mind, biting nervously her bottom lip.

Could she really trust his word, though? He didn’t strike her as a liar but then again he had proven to be extremely dangerous.

“It can’t last forever” he suddenly said, causing another thrill to run down Lara’s spine.

Why did he have such an effect on her? She was afraid of him and yet having him that close seemed to… arouse her?

Lara blushed at the thought. Maybe Jonah was right, maybe she did live for the danger. She wondered what he would’ve thought of her, had he known what was going through her mind in that moment.

“Konstantin?” she unexpectedly heard herself calling “Could you... I-... I’m freezing and I suspect you are too… Maybe we could… Stay a little closer?”

A long silence followed her words. Mentally, Lara slapped herself. What the hell was she thinking? She knew she was already playing with fire, why did she feel the need to risk even more?

Konstantin, on his part, was just too surprised to comply. He truly meant it when he said that he wouldn’t have harmed her but he didn’t expect her to trust him, less of all ask him to… well, spoon her.

That girl truly was reckless. Or too innocent. Or maybe both.

After that moment of surprise, he carefully closed the distance between them and put his arm over her waist.

Her whole body was pressed against his and it was difficult for him to ignore her inviting warmth. For a second, he found himself thinking about how good she would’ve looked beneath him, sweaty and moaning his name as he fuc--- what the hell was he thinking?

Why the hell was he thinking about having sex with Croft?

He was lucky he didn’t get an erection, otherwise he would’ve had to give a really embarrassing explanation to her.

He knew, though, that he wouldn’t have been able to hold back for the whole night. It had been so long since the last time he got laid and Croft… Croft had an effect on him. He didn’t know why, but, deep down, he liked her. She was beautiful and gentle, but she was also relentless and brave. Now he got why Ana firmly believed that she would’ve been an excellent addition to Trinity.

“We should have sex” he abruptly said. Manners had never been the commander’s strong suit and he didn’t like beating around the bush anyway.

Lara’s eyes shot open. What did he say? He… He wanted to have sex with her?

Was he asking for her permission or was he just giving her a heads up?

“Are you still cold?” she asked without even turning around, perfectly knowing that that wasn’t the reason why he had proposed such a thing.

Slowly, Konstantin slid a hand under her jacket, tracing small circles on her skin with his fingertips.

“Don’t play dumb, Lara…” he whispered in her ear. His short stubble brushed against her neck, making her shiver with anticipation.

She knew it was a dumb idea, mostly because she didn’t have any protection, but she couldn’t exactly turn back now. Plus, she was afraid he might’ve turned violent, had she rejected him. He had already beaten her when she was his captive, she knew he wouldn’t have had a problem doing it again, even after his promise.  

Holding in a breath, Croft turned around, so that she was lying on her back.

She locked eyes with him for a few seconds, then she slowly started to stroke his arm, feeling his toned muscles under the ripped fabric of his jacket, while she left featherlight kisses along his jawline.

Konstantin didn’t move, he let her play with his skin, hoping to make her more comfortable. His hand was still caressing her stomach and hips, but was slowly making its way down.

“You can say no” he clarified once his fingers had reached her groin “I gave you my word”

Somehow that spontaneous statement made her feel safer. It was thoughtful of him, making sure that they were on the same page. Maybe he wasn’t a complete psychopath after all.

Lara didn’t answer his question directly, though. She quietly unzipped her jacket and, not long after, she took off her tank top as well.

She could see lust in his eyes as they wandered on her naked chest.

Konstantin smirked as he looked at her. His hand immediately found its place between her legs, rubbing her clit with his index and stealing a surprised gasp from her lips.

He had barely begun and she was already somewhat wet, he noticed. Did he have on her the same effect that she had on him? Or was she just craving a good fuck?

He didn’t really care about the answer, he realised as another sweet moan escaped Lara’s throat.

The commander kept playing with her clit for a while, nibbling from time to time her neck or her turgid nipples, then, once she seemed aroused enough, he pulled back and took off his jacket and shirt.

Lara sat back up and closed the distance between them, leaving a few hot kisses on his collarbone as she unbuckled his belt and pants, eager to feel him on her again.

“Your turn” Konstantin whispered in her ear once he was completely naked, his manhood already hard.

Croft slowly stroked his erection and softly bit his bottom lip before obeying him.

She knew it wasn’t the best time to think about it, but she couldn’t help but being surprised at just how passionate the commander could be. She always thought that he felt no emotions and yet there he was, stealing steamy kisses from her as he gently laid her back down.

Was it just lust? Or was there really something good under his cold facade?

With a soft smile, she pulled him in for another kiss before spreading her legs. It didn’t take him long to take his place between her thighs.

“Easy” Lara murmured against his neck, tangling her fingers in his short hair “It’s been a long time since--”

Konstantin shut her up with a wet kiss, trembling with anticipation as he slowly entered her.

A surprised sigh escaped Lara’s lips and she couldn’t help but stiffen up a bit. His size was pretty normal but it still took her a few moments to get used to his presence.

Once she did, though, she immediately synched her movements with his, moaning every time a thrill ran through her body.

It felt amazing. Konstantin was rougher than the guys she had been with before, but she didn’t mind at all. She actually found out that she liked it better that way, with every thrust sending her a little closer to the edge.

She had never had an orgasm before, so she was quite surprised when she felt a sudden heat start from her sex and spread throughout her entire body in a matter of seconds, numbing her mind.

The commander couldn’t help a pleased smirk at the sight. She looked even more beautiful in her afterglow, he thought.

It didn’t take him long to join her, emptying himself inside her with a hoarse groan. Then, exhausted, he collapsed next to her.

They both took a moment to catch their breath, then Lara rolled on her side and rested her head on his chest. Neither of them was the cuddling type, but they both enjoyed that little contact.

For the first time in a long while, they were both truly relaxed. They knew it was only temporary and that, as soon as they were out of that cave, they would’ve tried to kill each other again, but in that moment they felt blessed.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, then they decided to put their clothes back on and try to catch some shut-eye.

Sleep came pretty fast for both of them, lulled by each other’s warmth and by the sweet sensation of the afterglow.

 

Lara was the first one to wake up, her arm still wrapped around Konstantin’s chest. Her stomach was growling, but she gladly noticed that she wasn’t cold anymore.

She sat up and stretched a bit, her eyes already well adjusted to the darkness of the cave.

Did the storm pass, she wondered as she looked at the entrance. A few, pale sunrays shone on the rocky floor and Lara couldn’t hear the wind howl anymore.

It did pass.

She was about to stand up to check, when she felt a hand on her lower back and a hoarse, sleepy voice ask her what was going on.

“The storm passed” she replied, smiling softly at the man next to her.

Konstantin sat up with a yawn and glanced at the illuminated entry. A sad smile appeared on his lips. He knew too well what that meant; their little truce was over.

He would’ve gone back to Trinity, Lara would’ve resumed her little crusade and, soon enough, they would’ve been at each other’s throat again.

“You should join us” he suddenly blurted out, his eyes locked on her.  

Lara’s brows furrowed as she looked at him. They had already had that chat. Well, Ana and her had that chat, but he was there too. So why was he asking her a question he already knew the answer to?

“I don’t like the way-” she tried to reply, but Konstantin immediately interrupted her.

“I know. But Trinity is just a means to an end” he explained “Once we get the Divine Source, nobody can stop us. The world would be ours to shape”

For a moment, Croft actually considered the idea. All she ever wanted was to make a difference, but was that the right kind of difference? Was that what her father would’ve wanted?

She closed her eyes at the thought and let out a small sigh. He had sacrificed his life to stop Trinity, he wouldn’t have wanted her anywhere near them.

Maybe she could’ve used them to get what she wanted, but, then again, being a double agent would’ve been way riskier than actually facing them.

“I’m sorry, Konstantin” she finally said, raising her gaze on him “I have my own path to follow”

The commander’s jaw clenched and Lara couldn’t say whether it was out of disappointment or anger.

It wasn’t easy for her, giving him that answer. She knew how ruthless he could be as an enemy and, now that she had seen and enjoyed his good side, it was difficult for her to go back.

“Then I hope that path never crosses mine again”

Despite his harsh words, she could hear a hint of sadness in his voice. Was it because they would’ve had to fight each other eventually or because he knew that she would’ve done everything in her power to undermine his operation?

“I’ll let you go, as a sign of my gratitude for saving my life. But if we were to meet again…” he added, but found himself unable to find the sentence.

“I know” Lara concluded for him, a sad smile on her lips.

Konstantin kept quiet for a small while, his eyes still locked on her. For some reason, it was hard for him to say goodbye.

“I hope you’ll change your mind, Lara” he said and got up. “If you do, you know where to find me”

Croft smiled softly at him. There was no way she would’ve had a change of heart and they both knew that. She didn’t say anything, though. It was already hard enough like that.

“Goodbye, Konstantin” she whispered once he was gone, staring blankly at the ground beneath her.

It was over, she thought. Their truce and whatever that night had meant… It was all gone.

And now she was alone again. Alone against the world.

  



	2. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They never thought they would’ve seen each other again. Not like that, at least.

Siberia had been a complete disaster. After Trinity got their hands on the Atlas, Jacob snapped and destroyed the Divine Source, saving his people -and humanity- from further futile bloodshed.  
They were all there when it happened. Lara, Jonah, Konstantin and Ana. They all watched helplessly as the Prophet smashed the artifact against the floor, shattering it into tiny, iridescent pieces.  
Lara rushed to his side as soon as he collapsed, holding him in tears as he slowly faded away. No one dared to speak or take arms against the others.  
Their restless pursuit was over, and so was their rivalry. There were no victors in that war.

A few months had passed since that day. Lara was back in England with Jonah, while Ana and Konstantin had been reassigned to a new expedition.  
Despite their failure, Trinity decided to cut them some slack, given how bad Ana’s condition had gotten. She could barely talk and, not long after, she had to be admitted to a private clinic. Without the Divine Source, modern medicine was her only hope.  
In her guts, though, she knew that Croft was already on the trail of some new, magical relic. If she was lucky enough, she could’ve made her do all the work and then snatch whatever she found right under her nose.  
That was the reason why she had kept tabs on her.  
But time passed and something interesting had yet to come up in the reports. It was as if Lara wasn’t really doing anything or had somehow outsmarted the spy that Ana had put on her.  
It was infuriating and, after the umpteenth empty report, Ana decided that she had had enough.  
She dismissed the spy and passed the matter into a contract killer’s hands, instructing him to take care of her and steal whatever research she was working on.  
Konstantin found out about a week later, when a cryptic text appeared on her phone while she was asleep.

“Like hell. It wasn’t part of the plan. I’m out. Don’t contact me again”

The commander’s brows furrowed as he read and, after a moment of indecision, curiosity got the best of him. He unlocked the phone and read the whole conversation.

_This is a secure line. Payment and file received. Organising the op_

_Good. Act fast, I don’t have any more time to waste._

_Is it done??_

_No. You forgot to mention a pretty big fucking detail_

_Didn’t think it would’ve mattered._

_Well, it does._

_What the hell do you care? I paid you. Get it done._

_Like hell. It wasn’t part of the plan. I’m out. Don’t contact me again._

Konstantin read the chat over and over again, trying to make sense of it. The guy clearly wasn’t with Trinity, so who was he? What did Ana hire him for? But, most importantly, why didn’t he know anything about it?

“What are you doing?” the faint voice of his sister made him raise his gaze on her, but it didn’t interrupt his thoughts

“You got a message” he replied after a small while. “The guy you hired says that he’s out”

Ana’s eyes widened in surprise and Konstantin could see rage fill her eyes. Why? Why was that op so important to her? And if it truly was that important, why didn’t she ask him to do it?  
A heavy silence fell between them and that was the confirmation he needed: she didn’t want him to find out.

“What was the job?” he asked, trying to make the question sound as casual as possible.

Ana didn’t answer. She stared at him for a long time, her fists clenched around the white sheet of her hospital bed.  
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, she sighed and closed her eyes. She looked on the verge of tears, but the commander couldn’t say whether it was out of sadness or anger.

“He was supposed to take out Lara and steal her research, so that I could get my hands on whatever artifact she was after” she finally admitted, her voice nothing but a whisper.

Konstantin kept quiet for a while. She had surgery scheduled before the end of the week and the doctors were more than optimistic. She had a really good chance of surviving, so why was she so desperate as to send a hitman after Lara?

“The doctors--” he tried, but Ana immediately interrupted him with a harsh cackle. 

“And what if they’re wrong? What if they fuck up? I’m running out of time, brother. How can you be so blind?!” she snarled at him before a terrible coughing fit struck her.

The commander sighed and lowered his head, then he slowly ran a hand over his tired face.  
His sister was getting more and more unstable, both mentally and physically, by the day. He could only hope that the surgery did its trick and saved her from herself.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked once the coughs had passed, handing her a glass of water, which she immediately refused.

“I did tell you. I told you that we should’ve looked into Lara’s new expedition--”

“And I told you you were talking crazy. We don’t even know if she actually is on a new expedition” he sharply replied.

He hadn’t meant to be that harsh, but they had had that conversation thousands of times and he was tired of hearing and saying the same things over and over.  
Ana didn’t seem to take his answer well. She narrowed her eyes, furious, and glared at him.  
They stared at each other for a few minutes, both too angry and annoyed to talk further.  
It was clear that Konstantin didn’t like the idea of killing Croft, but Ana couldn’t understand why. Was he that afraid of pissing Dominguez off? Or was it because of something else?

“Why didn’t he finish the job?”

The sudden question brought her back to reality. Ana blinked a couple of times as she looked at her brother, confused.

“The hitman. He said something about a detail that you forgot to tell him. What is it?”

She didn’t know why, but she didn’t feel like she could trust him with the truth. It was weird, since they had spent their whole life together, but her guts were telling her to lie. And so she did.

“He didn’t think that there would’ve been other people in the mansion. The idiot probably didn’t even read the file”

It was a bad lie and she knew it, but, if Konstantin had noticed it, he didn’t say anything about it. For a moment, he seemed lost in some dark corner of his mind and Ana couldn’t help but wonder how he ended up there and what exactly he was thinking about.

“Well, it’s not our problem anymore” he said after a long while “You need to rest” he added before standing up.

Ana’s eyes narrowed once again as she looked at him. Something was off, but she couldn’t really say what or why. And she didn’t care enough to ask.  
Plus, she was actually pretty tired, probably because of all the meds that they were stuffing her with. Without another word, the woman laid back down and closed her eyes. It didn’t take her long to fall back asleep.

Another couple of weeks had passed. Ana’s surgery was successful and, for the first time in a long time, the doctors were confident in a full recovery.  
Despite the good news, though, Konstantin couldn’t stop thinking about that hitman and the excuse that Ana had made up for him. Her words kept playing in his mind like a broken record and, the more he listened to it, the faker it sounded. But why would she lie to him? Hell, why didn’t she tell him about the hit in the first place?  
Deep down, he knew something wasn’t right.

That was probably the main reason why, despite his better judgment, he found himself outside Croft Manor.  
He knew the place well, since Ana had lived there for more than a decade, but he had never actually been there before. It looked way smaller in the pictures, he thought.  
Although it didn’t seem guarded, he hesitated before exiting the car.  
What was he supposed to do? Ring the doorbell? That didn’t seem like a great idea, especially when he knew she wasn’t alone. But he couldn’t exactly sneak in either.  
Well, he could, but God knows what could’ve happened. Croft would’ve probably shot him on the spot.  
Konstantin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn’t exactly turn back. Plus, were she actually working on something, Trinity would’ve been glad to know. Maybe it would’ve been enough for him to get back into their good graces.  
With a deep sigh, he exited the vehicle and walked through the open gate, slowly making his way to the door. Once there, he took a moment to observe the crest carved in the dark hardwood, then, without further ado, he rang the doorbell.  
A few endless minutes passed, but no one answered.  
Didn’t the Croft have a butler? He was pretty sure that they had one and yet… There didn’t seem to be anyone home.  
Carefully, he tried the handle and, to his great surprise, the door was unlocked.  
What the hell was going on? Was Lara okay?  
He clenched his jaw at the thought. Her safety wasn’t supposed to matter to him; she wasn’t supposed to matter to him. He was only there for her research. For Ana and Trinity and Rourke. Those were the things that were supposed to matter to him.  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, to clear his head, then he took a moment to look around.  
The place was a mess; a huge pile of boxes was stacked right in the entrance, and he could see a few crates and a genny in the middle of what seemed to be the living room.  
Water was dripping from the chipped ceiling and landing in some old, dirty buckets.  
If it weren’t for the lit fireplace and the two cups of tea on the table in front of it, he would’ve never thought that someone was actually living there.  
It was obvious that Lara was struggling to keep the manor together. She was so young and yet she was already so alone.  
A sad smile appeared on his lips at the thought, but he quickly made it disappear. He had to keep his head in the game.  
Cautiously, he crossed the living room and climbed up the main stairs, then, after a moment of indecision, he took the ones on the right.  
As soon as he reached the upper floor, he found himself in front of a corridor with a series of open doors and, coming from the end of it, he could clearly hear a female voice.  
Konstantin froze for an instant. She was home, and she was okay.  
As he walked through the first door, he let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding.  
There was no turning back now. He calmly walked down the hallway, only to stop a couple of feet from the last door, which led to what looked like a study.  
Lara was there, chuckling as she put some books back on a shelf. Her back was turned to the door and neither her nor Jonah, who was standing right next to the desk, seemed to know that he was there.  
He didn’t expect that, especially since he had rung the doorbell. What was he supposed to do? How could he get their attention without startling them or making them think that he was there to take them out?  
Before he could even think about what to do, though, Jonah turned and, as his gaze fell on him, he cursed out loud, making Croft turn as well.  
The commander let out a sigh and, slowly, he put his hands up.

“I’m unarmed. I just want to tal-” he started but, as soon as he looked at Lara, his voice died away.

She looked way better than the last time he had seen her, but he couldn’t help but notice that there was something wrong with the way the dress was cut. The white, soft fabric almost made her look like she was… pregnant. Quite far along, too.  
The sudden realisation hit him like a truck. He turned pale as his eyes locked onto hers, looking for answers, but she seemed just as lost as he was.

“What the hell are you doing here?”. It was Jonah who broke the heavy, tensed silence.

Konstantin didn’t bother answering him. Truth be told, he didn’t even understand the question. He was too busy staring at Lara, a thousand question storming through his mind.  
She looked close to delivering, so it probably happened in Siberia. But how? When? Why? And, most importantly, who was the father? Could it be… his?

“How far along are you?” he asked after what seemed like an eternity, his voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

Jonah took a step forward, ready to say something, but Lara shut him up with a deep sigh. 

“Give us the room, Jonah.” she murmured after a small while, but her friend just glanced at her, confused. “Please.” she added as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“You do remember who he is, right? What he has done?” a hint of anger tainted his words, but she didn’t seem to care. She knew he was just worried, but she could take care of herself.

“I do. Now, please, get out” she repeated, this time using a firmer tone.

Maiava shook his head and, astonished, he left the study. He knew better than to argue with Lara.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, though, a long silence fell between Croft and the commander.  
It was a tense, weird and awkward situation. They never thought they would’ve seen each other again. Not like that, at least.  
Lara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no point in beating around the bush.

“Six months. And yes, it’s yours” she said after a while, breaking eye contact.

It felt weird, admitting it out loud. She had never told anyone before, not even to Jonah or Sam.  
Konstantin didn’t seem to react to that statement, though. He only lowered his hands, too overwhelmed to do or say anything else.  
He was about to have a kid. From Croft. How the hell did that happen?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked as soon as his brain was done processing all the information that it had just received.

Lara couldn’t help a sad chuckle as she glanced at him. Then, she gently ran a hand over her face and rested her back against the bookshelf.

“It’s my kid too, Lara. I had the right to know” he added.

He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t too happy about the situation either.  
It was one hell of a mess, actually.

“I know” she muttered as she closed her eyes. A small sigh escaped her lips. “But after everything that’s happened… I didn’t know where I stood with you”

The commander’s lips curved into a sad smile as he looked at her. He couldn’t really blame her.

“When did you find out?” he asked as a sudden doubt crept into his mind.

She was six months in and they left Siberia three months before, which meant… She was at least two months in when Trinity raided the remnant’s village, when she fought both his men and the Deathless One in the archives.  
The mere thought made him sick. Why the hell didn’t she say anything? Why would she take such a risk?

“Almost a month after I got back home” Lara paused and took a deep breath. “It’s crazy, I know. But in Siberia I was too caught up in finding the Divine Source to notice that I had skipped a few periods and when I came back… Well, it suddenly hit me. One moment I was relaxing on the sofa and the next… I found myself thinking about it and I realised I couldn’t even remember when I last had it”

It was a hard thing to admit. She usually had everything under control and missing something that important made her feel like an idiot.

“I didn’t believe it at first. I kept working to bury the thought, but then the nausea came, and the cravings… Next thing I know, I’m sitting in front of a doctor and the only things he says to me is that I was too late and that I should’ve kept my legs shut”

A couple of tears escaped her eyes as she talked, and that sight alone hit Konstantin like a punch in the guts.  
He lowered his head and swallowed bitter bile. He was furious. At himself, at that nameless doctor and, in some way, even at Ana. She had had to know. The spy, the hitman… There was no way she didn’t know that Lara was pregnant.  
With a sigh, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. What the hell was he supposed to do?

“Konstantin, I…” Lara’s voice made him raise his head and lock his blue eyes into hers.  
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, though. She would’ve wanted to say that it was alright, and that she would’ve probably given it up for adoption, but how could she say that, when he looked on the verge of smashing something, anything, against the wall?  
She didn’t think he would’ve hurt her, but she had seen his bad side and didn’t want to face it again.

“It’s a boy” she said instead, in an attempt to calm him down.

And, for some reason, it worked.  
His expression softened as he looked at her and the hint of a smile appeared on his lips.  
He took a step forward and cupped her cheek in his hand, then he let out a small sigh and rested her forehead against hers.  
It was unexpected, but Lara gladly accepted that reaction. It was way better than what she had predicted.  
They stayed like that for a little while, then Konstantin placed a soft kiss on her temple. 

“It’s gonna be alright, Lara. I promise” he whispered before pulling back.

Those words only confused her, though. She tilted her head as she looked at him, brows furrowed. What was that supposed to mean?

“Look, I’m well aware of what happened between us and I’m not trying to play the happy little family, but it’s clear that you can’t do this alone” he started, eyes locked onto hers. “This place is falling apart and soon you’re going to have even more things to worry about”

Lara’s eyes narrowed as she listened to him.

“I have Jonah. And Winston already agreed to resume his service-” she tried to say, but Konstantin interrupted her with a scoff.

“And you’re delusional if you think either of them is going to put up with your hormonal breakdowns or with a kid crying in the middle of the night”

His reply came out way harsher than he had intended, so he made a small pause, trying to keep is temper under control.

“What I’m trying to say is, I want to help. It’s my kid, my responsibility. Let me be there for him… And for you”

The last sentence was the hardest one to say. He had to swallow his pride and, for the first time, admit that he actually cared about her. That, for some unknown and unexplainable reason, that night had meant to him a lot more than it should’ve had.  
Lara face, though, was unreadable. She didn’t look happy, but she didn’t look mad or sad either.

“What exactly are you proposing?” she asked after what seemed like an eternity.

Konstantin didn’t answer immediately. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and come up with a decent solution.

“I could stay here for a while” he finally said. “Just to make sure that you always have someone to lean on, regardless of what the problem is”

Croft’s eyes widened as she listened to him. She didn’t expect him to care about her pregnancy, and less of all actually staying in the picture, but she was glad to be wrong.  
Having grown up without a mother and with a father who was barely present, she never liked the idea of raising the kid alone. That was the reason why giving it away had seemed the best thing for everyone, but maybe it didn’t have to be that way.  
She knew who Konstantin was and what he was capable of, but he did seem genuine about his intentions. Maybe, for their kid’s sake, they could’ve found a way to make it work.

“And what about Trinity? I don’t think they’re just going to agree to a paternity leave”

The thought brought the hint of a smile on the commander’s lips. No, they normally wouldn’t have cared about personal matters but, since Croft was involved, he was sure that they would’ve been more than happy to let him go… As long as he kept Lara out of their business.

“I’ll deal with them” he cut short, then he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lara, you don’t have to give me an answer right now. If you want a few days to think about it-”

“I don’t need them. You’re right: I do need a hand” she finally admitted. “Jonah pops by whenever he can but… A little company isn’t exactly what I need”

She was grateful for what Jonah was doing for her, but it wasn’t enough. She needed someone who could be there if she felt sick in the middle of the night or if something bad happened. Someone who could make her feel safe.

“Give me a week, then. I have to take care of a couple of things first”

And Ana was among them. He wasn’t sure whether or not she knew that he was the father, but she knew about the pregnancy and sent a hitman after Lara anyway. He couldn’t let that happen again.  
He only hoped she would have understood. After all, she too knew what it was like to grow up without parents, so it should’ve been easy for her to see why Konstantin didn’t want his child to go through the same shit that they did.

“Here” the commander added as he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. “If you need anything while I’m gone, call me”

Lara couldn’t help a soft smile as she looked at his phone number. It felt weird, how drastically things had changed in less than a year, but she couldn’t help but being relieved in knowing that she had someone, in Trinity, who was looking out for her. She wouldn’t have stopped sleeping with a gun under her pillow, but it was a step in the right direction.

“I will. And… Thank you”

Konstantin only smiled back at her, then he placed a kiss on the top of her head and got out.

He immediately spotted Jonah, who was sitting on the small couch at the end of the hallway. An intense, cold hatred radiated from the man’s eyes and the commander couldn’t help an amused smirk. It must’ve been infuriating for him, seeing the girl he blindly followed around the world have a private conversation with the man who stabbed him and nearly killed him.  
Did he have a crush on her, he wondered? And if he did, did he know that he was the father of Lara’s baby? He didn’t seem to know, given how fast Lara got him out of the room.

“I assume we’re gonna see each other pretty often, Maiava” he started, stopping right in front of him. Fire darted from the man’s eyes and he tried to speak up, but Konstantin didn’t let him.  
“I won’t apologise for what happened in Siberia, but I want you to know that it wasn’t personal”

Jonah scoffed and shook his head, arms crossed around his broad chest.

“I don’t care about what you did to me. I know who you are, the things you’ve done to Jacob and his people” he replied, sharp as a knife. “I don’t know what you’re up to, why Lara didn’t shoot you the moment you walked through that door or why she agreed to even listen to you, but mark my words: if you harm her in any way, I will make sure that it’s the last thing you ever do”

A tense silence fell between them. It was clear that they didn’t like each other, but the commander couldn’t help but finding his outburst amusing.  
Jonah wanted to protect Lara and Konstantin respected that, but he didn’t seem to realise that they were on the same side.  
For a moment, he considered the idea of telling him, just to see how he would react. He would’ve surely gotten angry, but at whom? At him or at Lara?

“Have a nice day, Maiava” he simply replied once he had decided that it wasn’t worth it.

Croft would’ve had to have that conversation with him once Konstantin had moved in, after all.

 

But more than a week had passed, and Konstantin was nowhere to be seen.  
At first, Lara felt stupid, almost as if she had fallen for a banal scam but, the more she thought about it, the more it didn’t feel right. She knew he wasn’t a good man, but, ever since that night in Siberia, he had always shown her a different side of him.  
Plus, he seemed genuinely thrilled at the idea of having a kid. Way more thrilled than she was, anyway.  
Lara sighed as she looked at her phone, his number on the screen. Part of her wanted to call him, but she couldn’t bring herself to; she didn’t want to look needy or desperate or, in the worst-case scenario, naive.

“Tea, Miss Croft?”

Winston’s voice brought her back to reality. The old butler had resumed his service a few days before, but Lara still hadn’t gotten used to having him around. She forced a smile as she politely accepted.

“Will Mr. Maiava join us for dinner tonight?” he asked as he settled the tray down on the table in front of her, pouring then some tea into a fancy china cup.

“Yes. He should arrive shortly, actually” she replied before taking the teacup.  
It was hot, but Lara enjoyed feeling its warmth in her hands, then she gently blew on the tea and sipped it.

“Should I prepar--” Winston started, but was immediately interrupted by the sound of the doorbell- which Lara actually regretted fixing. “Pardon me, Miss”

“No, I’ll get it. It’s probably Jonah, anyway” Croft dismissed him and got up. “He’s not used to having you around and gets pretty embarrassed every time you announce him” she added with a soft chuckle as she approached the door, carefully moving past the boxes that were still cluttering up the entrance.

“I’m here, I’m here” she said as the doorbell rang again. “You can’t possibly be that hungry already, Jonah” Lara added, quickly unlocking the door and opening it. “It’s not even tim-”

Her voice died away once she laid eyes on the man in front of her. She froze on the spot, too surprised to find something clever or sassy to say.

“Not exactly Jonah” the commander murmured as she looked at her, the hint of a smile softening his tensed expression.

Lara didn’t reply. She only stared at him, brows furrowed and head tilted.  
He came back. It took him more than a week, but he came back. He didn’t play her.  
But now she didn’t really know what to do or say.

“I thought-” she began, but immediately stopped. There was no point in voicing her doubts, now that he was there. “I’m sorry. I was expecting someone else” she said instead, politely smiling back at him as she moved aside. “Well, come in!”

She couldn't say why, but she was actually happy to see him. She had spent so much time worrying and reproaching herself, that she almost felt embarrassed now that he was there.  
Plus, she would’ve had to have an awkward chat with Winston, since she didn’t mention anything about him before.  
Lara let out a small sigh at the thought, then, she closed the door and joined Konstantin in the small living room.  
Immediately, a tensed silence fell between them. It was clear that the commander wanted to say something, but he couldn’t find the words and Lara, on her side, was still too surprised and embarrassed to break the ice.

“I’m sorry it took me this long” Konstantin said after what seemed like an eternity. “I wanted to call but… I felt like it would’ve been better to leave your name off Trinity’s radar”

Lara tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. Was Trinity still after her? And did they really let him go like that, without even asking why?

“How are you holding up?” he asked, but before she could answer, Winston made his appearance.  
He looked like he had something important to say, but, as soon as he looked at commander, he stopped and took a moment to study him.

“My apologies. I wrongly assumed it was Mr. Maiava at the door” he started. “Forgive the interruption. I will come back once your meeting is over, Miss Croft”

“No, it’s alright, Winston” she reassured him, then she let out a small sigh. “I would’ve had to introduce the two of you eventually anyway”

The butler couldn’t help but raise a brow, his eyes moving back and forth between Lara and the commander, as he wondered where the young miss might’ve met such a peculiar fellow.  
Despite his doubts, though, he kept quiet and politely answered with a nod of his head.

“Well… Huh… Winston, Konstantin. Konstantin, Winston” she awkwardly introduced them. “He’s going to stay with us for a while”

It had been a long time since Winston worked for her and Lara was so young, that she never really had to take care of that kind of formalities.  
However, neither of the men seemed to notice her discomfort. The old butler bowed slightly, his right arm bent across his chest.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr…?”

“Konstantin” the commander quickly replied as he stretched out a hand to shake his. “Just Konstantin”

An uneasy moment passed before Winston shook his hand. In the old man’s eyes, that situation was a bit weird.  
Mr. Konstantin-Just-Konstantin didn’t seem like Lara’s usual acquaintances. He was older, stoic and looked like someone who had seen and done a great deal in his life; way different from young Miss Nishimura or Mr. Maiava. But, perhaps, he was supposed to take late Mr. Roth’s place?  
He definitely looked the part.

“Well, my pleasure, Mr. Konstantin” he said, then he turned and looked at Lara. “Shall I prepare the guest room?”

Lara opened her mouth to reply, but she immediately closed it again. Right. The guest room.  
She didn’t mention anything before and now… Well, it was quite awkward.  
Luckily, the commander chimed in: “That won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of it”.  
Croft let out a sigh in relief. At least he didn’t seem to have taken it personally.

“Alright then. I will be in the kitchen if you need me” Winston said as he bowed his head and took his leave.

“And I guess I’ll be cleaning my room” Konstantin glanced at Lara, the hint of an amused smile on his lips. “Which is…?”

“Oh, right. Mh...” the young woman ran a hand through her hair, clearly still embarrassed. “Here, come with me” she said after a moment of indecision, then she started to climb the first ramp of stairs.  
“It used to be in the left wing of the house, but… Well, it’s not exactly accessible right now. A tree fell while I was away and… It’s a mess” she explained, her breath a little short. “I’ve hired a construction company to take care of it, but they haven’t showed up yet” she added, before stopping in the middle of the hallway.

“Well, here we are. Third door on the left” Lara took a few steps and placed a hand on the handle, but she paused before opening. “It’s been… four months or so since the last time someone set foot in here. If you need a hand, just ask me. Or Winston. Whoever you find first”

Konstantin couldn’t help a soft chuckle. Had it been someone else, he would’ve found that behaviour annoying, but Lara… Lara was just too sweet. Plus, it was nice to see something different from her usual nothing-can-fade-me façade.

“Don’t worry, I got this” he reassured her with the hint of a smile. “I’ll join you downstairs once I’m done”.

“Right. Dinner is around 7.00 pm” Croft smiled back, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Jonah usually arrives around 6.00/6.30”

For some reason, that seemed to make the commander suspicious. His eyes narrowed a little as he looked at her.

“Every single day?” he asked, not entirely sure about what to think.  
It was pretty clear that Maiava had a crush on her but was he really so infatuated as to stick around even after having learnt that the man he despised so much was the father of Lara’s baby?  
Or maybe she hadn’t told him yet. She didn’t tell her butler that he was moving in, so why would she have told Jonah something way worse?

“Does he know?” he suddenly asked, before the girl could answer his first question.

Lara hesitated before answering, not because she was afraid or offended, but simply because she didn’t expect it.

“Of course he does” she replied, her brows furrowed as she studied him. “I told him as soon as you left, almost two weeks ago”.

This time, the commander was the surprised one. He knew Croft was hard to decipher, but that situation made no sense to him.  
“What?” the young woman asked, confused by his sudden silence.

“Nothing. I was just wondering”

Lara tilted her head to the side, sceptical, but she allowed herself a little laugh.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous” she said, jokingly, but her statement seemed to make Konstantin blush a bit.

He scoffed, though, and dismissed the matter with a shake of his head.

“I was just wondering” he repeated with a shrug, then he disappeared inside the dusty room.

 

An hour or so passed before the commander came back down. Jonah had just arrived, but he was already sitting on the red couch of the living room, amiably chatting and laughing with Lara.  
As soon as he set eyes on the commander, though, his face changed. It was clear that he still despised him with all his soul, but he didn’t say anything. The last thing Lara needed was worrying about the two of them skinning each other.

“Maiava” the older man greeted him, cold but polite.

A tense second passed, then, under Lara’s preoccupied gaze, the large man forced a smile.

“Konstantin” he replied with a nod of his head. “We were actually waiting for you. Dinner’s ready and I’m starving”

The commander’s eyes narrowed as he looked at him, suspicious, but he gladly went along with that fake, friendly attitude.

“Right. Sorry about the delay” 

“I hope the room wasn’t in a terrible state?” Lara chipped in once she decided that the two men were calm enough to keep things civil.

Konstantin moved his gaze on her and the hint of a smile appeared on his lips.

“Not at all” he simply replied, his voice way warmer than before.

Truth be told, the room was quite dusty but, after having slept for months in the Soviet Installation, he had grown used to it. And to mold, rats, forty-year-old skeletons… Yeah, he definitely couldn’t complain.

“Good” Lara smiled brightly, then she jumped to her feet. “Well, come on. Winston is probably losing his mind, trying to keep everything warm”

“And I’m starving” the younger man repeated as he stood up.

Lara rolled her eyes playfully. “You’re always ‘starving’. You ate an entire boar back in the Valley and you were still hungry”

“It’s not my fault I’m a big man and need a lot of food to function properly” Jonah said, pretending to be deeply offended by her sarcastic remark.

For some reason, that small exchange stole a silent laugh from the commander.  
Things weren’t exactly okay with Maiava, but it was good to see Lara smile and joke around and, as he sat through an entire dinner with them, he realised that that was enough reason for him to tolerate Jonah’s death glares and occasional jabs.  
After everything that had happened, both in his life and in Lara’s, he just wanted to see her happy. He owed her that much.  
And sure, things would’ve been difficult in the beginning, but he had endured far worse for things that he didn’t even remotely care as much about, so… He was ready. To leave the past behind and start over, to invest himself into that new, normal, and yet so scary, life.

“Jonah! You do realise that I’m the only one who is entitled to eat for two here, right?”

The commander raised his eyes on her and a warm smile appeared on his lips. He didn’t know how a man like him had gotten so lucky as to have a kid from that gorgeous and smart woman, but he surely was thankful for it.

“Konstantin, would you care say something? It’s your kid that’s starving here”

He couldn’t help a soft laugh as he looked at the both of them, then he slowly shook his head.

“I’m sure my kid doesn’t need an entire pan of lasagna, Lara” he replied, ironic. “Plus, it’s not his fault he’s a big man and needs a lot of food to function properly” he quoted, and Lara couldn’t help a hearty laugh.

No, he wasn’t sure where he stood with her, if she was even still interested in him or if she was just desperate, but he would’ve done everything in his power to make it work and hear that beautiful laugh every day, because it didn’t matter what he had done in the past; whoever was up there gave him another chance and he sure as hell wouldn’t have wasted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry it took me this long to finish this, but I've had really little free time in the past month and... Well, this sequel turned out to be everything but 'small' XD 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it, though! <3


	3. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The commander closed his eyes and forced himself to take long, deep breaths. He could feel fear and anger fill his very soul, dancing a macabre fandango inside his head, and, for once, he was actually scared of what he might do.   
> That was the main reason why, despite his thirst for answers and blood, he just grabbed his jacket and left.

 

Almost a year had passed since Konstantin moved in, and a lot of things had changed.

The previous autumn Lara gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who was now almost ten months old and already crawling all around the manor, to his parents’ dismay.

The left wing of the house had been repaired and a few of the rooms were redesigned to better suit the newborn’s needs and his future activities.

Despite the drastic change in their lives, both Lara and Konstantin seemed to have adjusted well to that new reality, and actually grew closer and closer by the day. They didn’t exactly know how to define their relationship, but it was somewhere between dating and having been married for 20 years. It was a balanced mix of fancy dinners and deciding who would get up in the middle of the night to change the kid’s diaper.

It was weird but it was working effortlessly, almost as if they were two well-oiled pieces of the same machine.

There were no troubles even when it came to choose their son’s name. Lara wanted to honour some important people of her life and Konstantin just agreed to it. He only asked that the baby had his surname as well.

And so there he was: Conrad Alex Croft-Miller.

Conrad, to honour Conrad Roth; the man who had basically been a father to Lara.

Alex, for Alex Weiss; the young engineer who saved her life on Yamatai.

Croft first, because he would’ve been among the first when the teacher called the register.

Lara thought it was clever, but Konstantin just scoffed and shook his head, incredulous. He didn’t really mind, though. He actually liked the sound of it and the fact that it implied that they both had a part in making that wonderful creature that he now called “son”.

Even Ana, despite an initial indifference, seemed to have warmed up to the idea of having a nephew.

She didn’t want to see him or Lara, but she did ask about them every time Konstantin went to see her.

 

And that was one of those days.

Konstantin woke up early and went to her place immediately after breakfast.  

He had been there for a couple of hours, when Ana’s phone rang. The woman looked at the unknown number on the screen and frowned. She had a weird look on her face and, despite having spent his whole life with her, Konstantin couldn’t really say if she was scared or confused.

 “Everything alright?” he asked, when he saw his sister hesitantly take the phone in her hand.

 Ana quickly looked up and flashed a smile. “Yes, of course” she replied as she got up. “But I have to take this”

 The commander gave her a skeptical gaze but he still nodded and leant back into his chair, watching his sister as she went into another room to answer the phone.

Ever since he had told her about him and Lara, almost a year ago, Ana had been acting differently towards him. He wasn’t entirely sure whether it was because of their relationship or because he had completely abandoned Trinity, but he always felt as if Ana was keeping something from him.

Or maybe she was just still mad at him for that outburst Konstantin had when he confronted her about the hitman. Almost a year and a half had passed but he never apologised -he didn’t see a reason to- and his sister was the kind of person to hold a grudge for a really, really long time.

Maybe he should have talked to her about it?

Just as he was thinking about how to handle the situation, his own phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and, as soon as he read the name on the screen, a small smile formed on his lips.

 

Lara: _Are you coming home for lunch?_

   
Konstantin unlocked the phone and started typing an answer: “Yes. I’ll be home soon.”

Before sending it, though, he took a moment to think about whether he had to use an emoticon. Or emoji. He never really understood the difference, but Lara always said that his answers looked angry or annoyed, due to the lack of those damn thingies.

 

_Yes, I’ll be home soon_ 😭

 

_Why the sad emoji?_ 😳 _are u that bored?_

 

Konstantin frowned and looked closer. Was that the sad thingy? How could people even tell the difference? They all looked the same to him.

 

_Thought it was happy. I’m giving up on understanding them._

 😂😂😂

  _You’ll get the hang of it, don’t worry!_

  _Anyway, Winston is taking Conrad to the park and I’m going to meet the headmaster of the university that emailed me a couple of days ago. I should be home before noon!_

 

Right. The job interview. He had completely forgotten about it.

He was happy to see Lara get out of the house, but he couldn’t hide the fact that the idea of having her around historical stuff worried him. He knew she loved their son more than anything in the world, but she was her father’s daughter and, deep down, he was terrified she might meet his same end.

 

_Right, good luck. Make sure you don’t have any baby-spit on the jacket_

  _Ha-ha. Real funny._ _  
_ _You’re never gonna let that go, are you?_

_No. And neither will that waiter_ 😂

  _Well, look at that! You used the right emoji!_ _  
_ _I’m so proud of you, darling!_

  _Anyway, gotta go. TTYL_ 😘

 

Konstantin smiled softly as he looked at the screen. Even just a couple of years before, he never would’ve hoped to have something like that with someone.

The inside jokes and the teasing, the inability to understand any of the abbreviations she used but, overall, the feeling of having someone actually waiting for him back home.

It was weird at first, suffocating almost, but now he was just happy about it.

 

Once he saw Lara’s profile go offline, the commander locked the phone and put it back in his pocket.

He then sighed and glanced at the door that led in the adjoining room. His sister was still talking on the phone; he could hear her faint voice, but he couldn't really make out the words she was saying.

Whatever it was, he only hoped Trinity wasn’t giving her a tough time because of him. Dominguez had agreed to letting him go, as long as he kept Croft out of their way, but Rourke didn’t seem too happy about the decision.

He never understood why. Rourke never liked him and the feeling was mutual, yet he seemed furious when Dominguez shook the commander’s hand and sent him on his way.

Maybe he thought he was a liability. Maybe that was the reason why Ana was acting so weirdly around him. Did they order her to keep an eye on him?

No, he was overthinking it. Ana would’ve never agreed to something like that.

 

Konstantin closed his eyes and sighed, annoyed. Almost twenty minutes had passed since his sister answered the phone. What the hell was taking that woman so long?

He sighed once again and then, bored out of his mind, he stood up and started looking around the small studio he was in.

It didn’t change much since the last time he was there; the shelves were still full of dusty books and old newspapers, her desk was covered in classified documents and reports, and empty pill bottles were scattered everywhere.

He frowned, preoccupied, and grabbed one. The prescription was only a couple of weeks old but the bottle was already empty. Was she supposed to take that many? And if she was, what was wrong with her? Did the surgery have last-longing side effects?

But before he could think about what the doctor had said, his eyes fell on a small box that was sitting right next to the desk.

It looked old; the corners were scratched and the top was soft and wavy, almost as if it had been sitting in the rain for a while. Something was written on the side of it, but the commander could only make out a few letters.

“S BE    A” 

His brows furrowed as he read, trying to look past the damage that the water had done.

Sabena? Sobera? What was it? A code name, maybe? Or...

 Siberia.

 The commander’s eyes narrowed at the realisation and, without even thinking about it, he opened the box.

Inside of it there were a few voice recorders and he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.

Trinity always encouraged its soldiers to use them, but Ana never actually did. Or at least that’s what she told him. Why would she lie about something like that?

Intrigued by their secrecy, Konstantin took one and hit the play button.

His sister’s sick voice immediately started playing, making the commander’s jaw clench. Even after all that time, with Ana alive and well in the next room, it was painful to hear that sound.

 “I won’t die in this God forsaken valley. My faith is strong. My will is strong. Even if… my mind keeps wandering away”  
  
Konstantin closed his eyes and sighed. He remembered that time far too well. Ana was always staring off into space, lost and unreachable, deaf to whatever he was telling her.

He was glad that it was over.

 “In our youth… Konstantin and I in our youth…

He was a difficult child. Always wondering, always questioning. Afraid of what the future might hold. Afraid that he might never find his purpose”

 The commander frowned. Sure, before Trinity he didn’t really have a higher purpose, but he was never scared of the future. He always trusted himself enough to know that he could pass whatever challenge fate put him through.

 “The night I cut those marks into his hands, the night I whispered into his ear, I made him. I saved him. He believed it to be the work of God, just as I’d hoped”

 A loud thud was the only sound that followed those words. Konstantin froze in horror, his eyes still on the voice recorder, that now laid broken on the wooden floor of Ana’s apartment.

What did she say? “The night **_I_ ** cut those marks”? No, no, no… He must have misunderstood.

His sister wouldn’t do something like that. She wouldn’t hurt him.

 “He believed it to be the work of God, just as I’d hoped”

 That sentence roared back into his mind like a massive, enraged lion, silencing any other thought, and making Konstantin feel immediately sick.

She lied to him. Hurt him. Manipulated him.  All those years, all the things he had done…

It was never in the Lord’s name.  

The commander closed his eyes and forced himself to take long, deep breaths. He could feel fear and anger fill his very soul, dancing a macabre fandango inside his head, and, for once, he was actually scared of what he might do.

That was the main reason why, despite his thirst for answers and blood, he just grabbed his jacket and left.

 

***

 

_Interview went really well! I’ll be home soon._

 Lara allowed herself to smile as she stepped out of the building, the warm sun rays kissing her pale skin.

It felt good. Going somewhere new, talking about history and its mystery… She had missed it.

She only hoped it could be a part of her life again, even just in a safe, academic way.

Plus, she really liked that place. The university was prestigious, but not exclusive; the teaching staff friendly and very well prepared; and, last but not least, the area was really nice. There were flowers and colorful plants everywhere and Lara just loved the sweet smell that they sent out.  She could already see herself working there, and actually enjoying it.

  _Are you home already?_

 She texted again, eager to tell her partner everything.

But the young woman frowned once she realised that the texts she had just sent had a single, grey tick beneath them.

That was weird. Konstantin never turned his phone off. Maybe he just ran out of battery? Surely he was fine… He was more than able to look after himself.

Lara looked at the screen one last time and bit her lower lip, not exactly convinced by her own theories, then she put her phone in her pocket and hopped on her motorbike.

She would’ve been home soon anyway. It was pointless to worry.

 

In fact, it didn’t take her long to get to the Manor, despite the busy roads.

She calmly parked her bike in the driveway and, with her helmet still on, she checked her phone once again.

Winston had texted her; he was still at the park, dutifully watching over her rebel son, and would’ve gone grocery shopping soon, news that Lara was actually glad to hear.

But there was still no trace of her partner.

Did something bad happen? She knew he was at Ana’s, so he should’ve been safe, but… No. It was probably just the battery. It had to be.

Lara sighed and quickly dismounted her Ducati, then she walked towards the entrance door, the keys already in her hand.

Once inside, she hanged her coat and her messenger bag and went immediately upstairs, eager to get out of that dark, uncomfortable tailleur.

However, as soon as she set foot in the corridor, she came to a halt.

 “You’re home!” she chirped happily, but, after the initial surprise, it became obvious to her that something was wrong.

 Konstantin was sitting on the leather couch, lost in some remote corner of his mind, a bottle of whiskey on the coffee table in front of him and a full glass in his hand. He didn’t even notice that she was there, despite her not-so-subtle entrance.

Lara tilted her head to the side, a preoccupied frown on her face. She had never seen him like that before, nor had she ever seen him drink, not even something as light as a beer.

 “Are you alright, love?”

 She asked as she closed the distance between them, softly placing a hand on his shoulder to bring him back to reality.

Konstantin didn’t answer. He just clenched his jaw and took a gulp from the glass, far too drunk to put on a façade and pretend that everything was okay, but also far too proud to talk about what happened.

A deep silence fell between them, but after a few, endless seconds, just when Lara was about to say something else, the commander looked up at her and let the alcohol talk.

 “She lied to me” he croaked, his voice even hoarser than usual. “She stole my entire life from me.”

 Lara’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and surprise. What the hell was he talking about? **_Who_ ** the hell was he talking about?

Ana was the only person coming to mind, but… It couldn’t be her. Konstantin adored her. She could stab him in the back with a rusty knife  and he would still forgive her… Plus, how would she have stolen his life from him?

Lara bit he bottom lip, unsure about what to do or think, then she sat down next to him and slowly stroked his back in an attempt to calm him.

 “Do you want to talk about it?”

 She tried, even if she already knew the answer. The commander glanced at her, his blue eyes wandering on her for a timeless instant, then he shook his head and refilled his glass. He knew alcohol wasn’t a solution and that Lara just wanted to help, but he just couldn’t bring himself to talk or even just stop drinking.

He was a mess. He felt lost, ashamed and, for the first time in his entire life, he felt the weight of his past on his shoulders. All the people he hurt, tortured and killed; all the violence, the fear… He couldn’t hide behind “the greater good” anymore. The Lord never guided his hand.

 “Is there anything I can do? Like, taking that bottle away, maybe?”

 Lara’s voice brought him back from the dark tunnel that he had spiralled in. He looked at her once again, staring right into her warm, hazel eyes.  
What would she think of him, had she found out? Would she still support him? Or would she blame him, just like he was blaming himself? How could he have been so naive, so blind to his sister’s blatant lies?

 “No.” Konstantin finally replied. “I… I just need to be alone.”

 A sad smile appeared on Lara’s lips. She knew Konstantin wasn’t good at sharing his feelings, but, given how bad he was hurting, she did hope he would’ve let her help.

It broke her heart to see him like that and not being able to do anything about it saddened her even more, but she knew better than to insist.

With a small sigh, she leant in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

 “Alright… I’ll be in our room, if you change your mind” she whispered against his skin. “I love you.”

 And with that, she got up and left.

It didn’t feel right, but she had learnt long before to give him space, especially when he specifically asked for it.

She only hoped he would sober up before Winston got back home. Despite his silence, it had become clear that the old butler didn’t approve of their relationship and a drunk Konstantin was the last thing he needed to see.

 

Lara sighed once again as she entered her room. Even as she undressed and put on some more comfortable clothes, she couldn’t stop thinking about Konstantin.

What could’ve possibly hurt him in such a way? And what did he mean by “she stole my entire life from me”? Was he talking about his life at Trinity? Or was there something more?  
The young woman ran a hand over her tired face. There was no point in tormenting herself with all those questions. He would have told her once he was ready. She only had to wait.

With another sigh, Lara grabbed a book and laid down on the bed.

 

She couldn’t say how much time had passed but, halfway through her reading, she heard a soft knock on the door.

Was Winston home already, she wondered. Why didn’t he text her? She was dying to see her son and would’ve also gladly helped him with the bags.

 “Come in!” she replied as she put down her book and sat up.

 When the door opened, though, it was her partner who came in. He looked a bit better, but it was clear that whatever happened was still eating him alive. She could tell by the way his eyes rested on her, desperate and looking for answers that she obviously couldn’t give him.

 “Hey...” he greeted her, and Lara was glad to notice that he wasn’t slurring anymore.

 “Hey” she replied, flashing him a small, warm smile. “Are you feeling better?”

 Konstantin nodded in response, then he sat down next to her. He looked pensive and Lara couldn’t help but wonder what could possibly trouble him that much. She decided not to ask, though.

 “I’m sorry about earlier.” he started, turning his head a little, so that he could look at her directly. “I… I’m sorry you had to see me like that”

 Lara frowned deeply and turned completely towards him. She took a moment to observe him, trying to understand why on Earth he would feel sorry for having a breakdown.

 “It’s alright.” she answered as she gently cupped his cheek in her small hand. “I know you secretly wish you were a robot, but you’re human too. You’re allowed to have emotions”

 Konstantin scoffed and shook his head, the hint of a smile on his lips.

He was glad to have her in his life. She was sweet and beautiful and charming and, despite his inability to talk about his own feelings, she always knew what to say. She was also the mother of their beautiful child, another thing that he never would’ve imagined having.

As he looked at her, he couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, it really was the Lord’s doing. They gave him a way to redeem himself and Konstantin had been lucky enough to take it.

 “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” he quoted under his breath, his eyes shut closed.

 Lara’s brows furrowed as she listened to him. She knew he was quoting something from the Scriptures, but she just couldn’t understand what he was getting at.

Before she could ask, though, she found his lips pressed against hers, stealing a long, warm, unexpected kiss.

 “I love you” he whispered, his forehead still rested against hers.

 For a split second, Lara thought she had imagined it. Konstantin never said anything like that before. She had said it plenty, but she only ever got a “me too” or a smile back.

But now… He did say it. A whole, unprompted “I love you”.

Lara couldn’t help a bright smile as she slowly put her arms over his shoulders, bringing him a little closer.

 “I love you, too” she replied, her lips brushing lightly against his. “Even if you smell like a distillery” she added, ironically.

 Konstantin scoffed again, partially amused and partially ashamed. It definitely wouldn’t have happened again.

 “Way to ruin the moment, Croft” he teased her playfully and Lara couldn’t help but laugh.

 “It’s still a great moment” she replied, gently caressing the back of his head with the tip of her fingers. “Tell you what… Why don’t we rest a little before Winston and the little Croft-Miller come back?”

 The commander’s lips curved into a small smile at the thought. It wasn’t even noon yet, but he was indeed already pretty tired. Plus, ever since the kid was born, sleeping had become a luxury that they rarely had, so he was more than glad to get some shut-eye.

 “Sounds great” he answered, then he kissed her one last time.

 He was glad she didn’t ask him about his breakdown. He would’ve told her eventually, but he just wasn’t ready in that moment. He needed some time to heal and accept that, his whole life, he had only been a tool in his sister’s hands.

He didn’t doubt the Lord’s role in all of that, though. They may not have given him his scars and his stigmata, but They gave him something way more important, something that burst into his life like a hurricane but that, in the end, saved him from the cursed path he was following.

And if that wasn’t the Lord’s work, then he didn’t know what was.

 

Peter 2:25:

“For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, I never thought Fireflies would become something more than a one-shot! But I'm so, so happy it did XD I want to thank all the people that have supported the story so far. All this fluffy, angsty mess wouldn't be possible without you! <3
> 
> Also, I want to give a shout-out to Brittany the Scrivener, whose amazing aesthetic basically made me cry (and inspired the last part of this chapter).   
> You can see her work (and her entire blog, which is pretty amazing to say the least) here: https://brittanythescrivener.tumblr.com/post/179893250810/life-has-not-been-kind-to-either-of-us
> 
> Thank you again for reading and I hope you'll stick around for the 4th chapter as well! <3


	4. In the name of the Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara’s brows furrowed and she exchanged a quick, confused glance with her partner before gently taking the page from her son’s hands.  
>  The paper was yellow and looked old and there were a few Mayan hieroglyphs sloppily written on it. It was obviously fake and, for a split second, Lara’s mind wandered back to the birthday expedition her father did for her ninth birthday. It looked just the same, but it couldn’t be…

Conrad’s third birthday had shortly passed and the playroom was bursting with new, shiny toys, despite Lara’s request to “just buy him a good book”.  
Sam and Jonah bought him a Lego Police Station; Winston a chessboard with beautifully carved wooden pieces and Lara and Konstantin agreed on a Smart Globe, so that he could learn important facts about the world while having fun. Even Ana, despite not having ever seen her nephew in person, mailed him a copy of an adventure book for children and a few treats.  
As surprising as that was, it still didn’t shock Lara as much as what she found in the mail the following day. It was an envelope from her uncle, Atlas de Mornay, which contained a letter for her and a silver pocket watch for her son. An odd present for a 3-year-old but Lara didn’t think too much of it. She burnt the letter without even reading it, still bitter about his attempt to steal the Manor from her, and put the pocket watch in a safe. Conrad would’ve chosen what to do with it once he was older. Plus, she didn’t feel like introducing her uncle to him, or to Konstantin. She meant it when she said she wanted him out of her life for good.

Despite the stress that knowing her uncle still kept tabs on her caused her, Lara didn’t let that ruin her week.

A few days had passed since her son’s birthday and the three of them were enjoying a quiet afternoon in the playroom.  
Konstantin had just woken up, coming off a long night shift for the private security company he worked for, and was playing with Conrad and his brand-new Lego Police Station on the floor, while Lara was sat on a window, reading a book about Alexander the Great and the controversy about his death and burial site.  
Gosh, she would’ve given anything to start an expedition and solve that mystery once and for all. Plus, his people considered him a God and many different sources said that his body didn’t decompose for almost a week, which tickled her ancient desire to redeem her father’s name by finding a reliable source of immortality.  
Lara sighed deeply. What was she thinking? Both Himiko’s ritual and the Divine Source came with a really high price and Alexander died mysteriously at a young age, so, even if he did in fact have another relic, nothing good would come out of finding it, especially with Trinity still around.  
"Mum!”  
Her son’s voice made her immediately raise her head, breaking her stream of thoughts.  
Conrad was standing right in front of her and, with an excited spark in his deep blue eyes, was waving a yellow-ish piece of paper right in her face.  
“What does this say?” he asked, basically jumping on the spot. “Dad says you can read the drawings on it!”  
Lara’s brows furrowed and she exchanged a quick, confused glance with her partner before gently taking the page from her son’s hands.  
The paper was yellow and looked old and there were a few Mayan hieroglyphs sloppily written on it. It was obviously fake and, for a split second, Lara’s mind wandered back to the birthday expedition her father did for her ninth birthday. It looked just the same, but it couldn’t be… Almost twenty years had passed and her father died long before her tenth birthday. Could he really have had already planned the whole thing, months in advance?  
“Where did you find this, sweetie?” she asked and, even if she tried to sound calm, she couldn’t hide the sceptic expression on her face.  
Conrad tilted his head to the side and a lock of blond hair fell right in front of his eyes. He didn’t seem to care though, as he immediately took her hand and basically dragged her across the room, where an old book was sitting right next to his Lego Police Station.  
Lara recognised it immediately; it was one of her father’s books about Columbus’ expeditions. She had actually read a few pages of that same book the week before. She must’ve forgotten to put it back in the library.  
“I moved it to make place for Sgt. Morrison here and it just fell out.” Konstantin explained, a soft smile on his tired face. “I hope I didn’t accidentally rip a page or something”.  
Lara frowned again and sat down next to him. It didn’t take her son long to find his place on her lap, his eyes still staring excitedly at the incriminated piece of paper.  
“No.” the young woman simply replied. “It’s not a page from the book, I’m quite sure of that.”  
“But what is it? What does it say?” Conrad, having inherited his father’s patience, was already getting tired of waiting around. “Maybe it’s a treasure!”  
Croft laughed softly and took another look at the hieroglyphs. “It does point to something hidden nearby. My Mayan is a bit rusty but I think it says something about a place of knowledge and… a gate to another dimension? Or… Another time”  
A spark of excitement darted in her eyes as she realised that the riddle was pointing at the Manor’s main library. And only her father would’ve been able to put something like that together.  
For a split second, she felt like a kid again. That small, damaged piece of paper managed to bring her back to her ninth birthday, the day that she remembered most dearly.  
Tears dwelled behind her eyes and she could feel a knot in her throat as she stared mindlessly at the riddle.  
“Are you alright, honey?” Konstantin’s voice brought her back to reality. She flashed a smile and gave him a quick nod.  
She couldn’t go back to those days, but she sure could use the opportunity to make some good memories with her new family.  
“You know what?” Lara said after a few moments as she gently ran a hand through her son’s messy hair. “It looks like grandpa left behind a note from an important expedition he was working on… How would you like to help me finish it?”  
Conrad basically jumped to his feet, almost smashing over his beloved Police Station, and clapped his hands, a big, bright smile on his face.  
“Will there be lions?! Or bears? I love bears!”  
A small laugh escaped Lara’s lips as she looked at him. “No animals, I’m afraid. But the path of an explorer is always dangerous and our home hides many ancient secrets!”  
“And that’s exactly why I’m tagging along, too.” Konstantin chimed in. “Can’t risk letting the two of you waltz around the Manor like that. The ghosts might get you.”  
A horrified expression appeared on Conrad’s face and he immediately turned to his mother, who, in turn, glared harshly at her lover.  
“There are no ghosts. Uncle Jonah killed them all.” she quickly defused the situation and stood up. “Dad is just messing with you.”  
Konstantin couldn’t help a smirk as he looked at her. She was cute when she was annoyed.  
She was a little less cute when she was truly angry, and that’s why he just raised his hands and said: “Guilty as charged. This creepy, old house is 100% ghost-free”  
That seemed to bring a smile back to Conrad’s face. “To the library, then!” he yelled and ran out of the room, arms stretched out in front of him, just like a superhero.  
Lara shook her head and bent down to pick up the book from the floor. Once she stood back up, though, she felt strong arms around her waist and lips on her neck.  
“So… Can I come along?” Konstantin asked against her skin, placing another kiss on her shoulder.  
Lara huffed a little, pretending to be annoyed. “Only if you stop scaring our child with senseless stories” she said, but her little act was brought down by a smile she failed to hide.  
Konstantin chuckled at the sight. Just a few years before he would’ve thought that she was actually mad, but now he could read her like an open book.  
“Promise.” He stole a small kiss from her. “But you have to admit--”  
His sentence was cut in half by his son yelling “Mom! Dad!” at the top of his lungs from the corridor. Lara sighed and rolled her eyes.  
“The more I spend time with our son, the more I feel sorry for what I put Winston through when I was little. Karma is a bit-... bad person” She whispered and ran a hand over her face. “Coming!” she then yelled back at Conrad.  
Konstantin let out a laugh and gave her a soft pat on her backside. “Neither of us knows what patience is. He wouldn’t be our son if he did.”  
She shook her head and got out of the room, a warm smile on her lips. She immediately spotted Conrad on the other side of the main stairs, happily pointing his finger at the many doors of the right wing.  
“Which library was grandpa talking about?” he asked excitedly. “We have way too many libraries, mom!”  
Croft sighed softly and joined him at the top of the stairs, Konstantin right behind her. She took another look at the paper, thinking. Her studio and the small library weren’t really used when she was a kid, so the next clue must’ve surely been in the old library, where her father spent most of his time.  
“Here, follow me” she mumbled, as she took out the master key from her pocket.

Having grown up with the left wing of the Manor completely closed, Lara never liked the idea of locking doors. But the Manor was big and Conrad was very young, so, when both Konstantin and Winston agreed on it, she just went along and locked the old library, the basement and a few other potentially dangerous rooms, allowing him access only when an adult was present.  
“Stay away from the rolling ladders” Croft ordered once they reached the old library, and Conrad couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He already knew the library’s rules. No rolling ladders, no touching the old books and no drawing. On anything.  
“So, what are we looking for?” Konstantin asked once he had taken a good look around. He never liked that place and was eager to get out of there as soon as possible. He knew Lord Croft died on the wooden desk in front of them and for some reason, the thought made him sick. Maybe it was because he felt somehow responsible that his body was later found by a nine-year-old Lara, who saw brains splattered all over the wall and blood on the papers her father was working on. She must’ve been so scared, she-... The commander closed his eyes and forced himself to take a long, deep breath. She was happy now. There was no need to dwell in the past. There was no need to-  
“A clue.” Lara answered and the small smile on her lips was enough to sweep away her lover’s stormy thoughts. “The first one was written in Mayan and fell out of a book about Columbus, so I suggest we start looking in the pre-Columbian section.”  
Conrad immediately darted towards the interested bookshelf and started looking in the lower shelves, which were the only ones he could actually reach.  
Lara gave him a quick glance, then she took a moment to study the many different books in front of her. She knew the library had a few secret hiding spots, but she couldn’t remember where they actually were. Was there one in each section? Nah, that would’ve been too predictable.  
She bit her lower lip, thinking about the riddle and whether there was something she had missed.  
“A gate to another time” she mumbled, the tip of her fingers brushing softly against the old wood of the bookshelf. Maybe it wasn’t about pre-Columbian civilisations after all, but rather... One of their prophecies perhaps? But there were so many… Which one was the riddle talking about?  
Not completely convinced by her own theory, Lara took a look at every book, searching for another clue or something amiss.

  
But time passed and nothing came up. Conrad had already moved to another section and Lara let him, too absorbed to think about anything else. It drove her mad, not being able to solve that one simple riddle. But maybe there was no solution? Maybe her father died before completing the little game?  
“What did the paper say?” Konstantin’s voice woke her up from the endless loop of hypothesis that she had fallen into, and she repeated the riddle word by word.  
Her partner processed the clue, then, out of the blue, a realisation seemed to hit him. “Columbus. It was Columbus all along.”  
Croft raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. “That doesn’t make any sense. How’s Columbus a gate to-” the young woman stopped as she realised what he was talking about. “... another time… Another time for  _ them _ . The native’s end, the conquistadores’ beginning! You’re a bloody genius!”  
Lara jumped on her feet and quickly covered the distance between herself and her father’s desk, where a miniaturised replica of the Santa Maria was sailing on a wild sea of papers and notes.  
“This is the ship Columbus captained during his first voyage.” she explained, as she gently took the model in her hands. “She never made it back, but she’s the reason why Spain was able to find new, undiscovered lands.”  
As she said so, a small, half burnt piece of paper fell from the base of the replica. Konstantin grabbed it in mid-air, gave it a long, confused look, and then passed it on to the family’s expert.  
“What did you find?” Conrad was already at her side, standing on his toes to see what his mother was holding.  
Lara lowered her hands a little, so that her son could see too, then she studied the newfound clue.  
The paper was badly damaged, but she could still notice some hard lines drawn along the short sides. She couldn’t really make sense of them, though. It clearly wasn’t an ancient language, so what was it?  
“It’s a pirate treasure map!” Conrad’s voice echoed in the dusty library. “Look! There’s even the x!” he said excitedly, pointing his little finger at spot near the middle of the drawing.  
Lara squinted her eyes and brought the paper closer to her face. He was right. A small, faded x marked what seemed to be the shore of some sort of pond or lake.  
“It looks like a body of water” Lara mumbled, passing the paper to her partner. “What do you think?”  
Konstantin sighed softly as he took another look at the clue. Mysteries weren’t really his cup of tea. Even back at Trinity, it was always Ana who did all the research. He only provided security and the occasional hostile interrogation.  
“I guess it does” he replied, shrugging. “But there’s no body of water on the Manor’s premises”  
Before Lara could even try to come up with a theory, Conrad jumped in between them and, after having snatched the paper from his father’s hand, he ran towards the door.  
“The pool!” he shouted, pointing in a completely wrong direction. “C’mon!” and with that, once again, he darted back out into the corridor, leaving his speechless parents in the dusty library.

Lara shook her head and, once her gaze fell on her astonished lover, she couldn’t help a laugh. Konstantin’s hand was mid-air, his fingers still holding something that was no longer there, and on his face there was this blank, unreadable expression. She knew Conrad’s rough manners angered him, but she couldn’t help but find it funny.  
“He’s just a kid.” She tried, filling the space in the commander’s hand with her own fingers. “I’ll talk to him about it later, I promise.”  
Konstantin’s blue eyes locked onto hers and, after an endless, intense instant, he just sighed.  
“Having an old, English butler around all day, you’d think he would learn how to behave” he muttered as he moved towards the door, Lara’s hands still in his. “Even those Siberian savages had better manners than him.”  
A sad smile appeared on Croft’s lips. Siberia wasn’t a taboo topic, but neither of them liked to talk about it. Jacob’s death was still an open wound for her. Almost four years had passed, but she still remembered the way he fell to the ground as soon as the Divine Source shattered. She remembered the way his light-blue eyes slowly lost their spark and the warm laugh that lingered on his lips as he vanished from her arms. She remembered tears and dust and her heart aching as if a sword had cut clean through it.  
She still felt responsible for it, and even when she did try to move on, her nightmares just wouldn’t let her. She saw him dying a thousand times. Different ways, different places, but her mind always made sure to remind her that it was her fault, that Jacob’s blood was on her hands. And she could never forgive herself for that.

“Lara.” A loud voice brought her back to reality. She raised her head, dumbfounded, and stared at her lover. “The key to the pool, where is it?” he repeated and only then Croft realised that they were in the living room, and that Conrad was back at their side.  
“I…” she stammered for a moment before finally snapping out of it. “Here, I have it” she replied as she took out the master key and unlocked the last door from the stairs, in the right wing.  
The grey, stone corridor that appeared in front of them looked way better than Lara remembered. The last time she had set foot in there, a week or so after returning from Siberia, she had found rats everywhere and mold covering the torch-like lamps that hanged in the middle of either wall. Seeing it that clean and well maintained made her realise how grateful she was to have Winston back at her side. She would’ve had to bake him something eventually, just to remind him that she deeply appreciated his service.

“Stay away from the pool, sweetie.” Lara said as she reached the end of the hallway and unlocked the last wooden door. “It’s slippery and really deep and I just had my hair done”  
Conrad huffed and rolled his eyes, but his frown disappeared as soon as he got into the room.  
In front of him there was a huge pool, rimmed by blue and white mosaic tiles. Large columns ran all around its border and in the gaps between them hanged planters with ferns and ivies.  
Massive statues of the goddess Athena stood tall in the recesses in the outer walls, observing silently the world below them.  
Lara gently took the small map from her son’s hand and took a step forward.  
“That’s…” she heard her lover mumble behind her. “...really impressive.”  
Right. He had never seen the pool either. She didn’t know why, but there was something about that room that she had always been jealous of. Maybe it was the knowledge that her mother had designed every single inch of it and, just like her paintings, she felt like part of her soul was still there.  
“It is.” she softly replied as she looked at the map. The lines were really faded but she was pretty sure that the x was supposed to be near the right border, next to either a pillar or a statue.  
She moved in that direction and, after not even a couple of steps, she spotted something next to the third column. Another yellowish page.  
“Huh” Lara mumbled after the paper was in her hand. She recognized the logographs written on it but she wasn’t sure about their meaning.  
“What is it?” her son immediately asked, jumping right in front of her, too close to the pool’s border for Lara’s comfort.  
She took his hand and took a few steps towards the outer wall, then she let Conrad look at the paper.  
“These are called logographs” she explained. “They are symbols that represent an entire word or phrase. A lot of ancient civilisations used them. Aztecs, a few Mayan tribes, some provinces of Egypt…  And they are still used nowadays by China and by part of the Japanese writing system.”  
Conrad nodded but then a small frown appeared on his face. “Doesn’t Japanese use the same characters that Chinese does?” he asked.  
Lara smiled softly. “A good part of the Japanese characters were inherited from the Chinese language but, as time went on, the people of Japan felt that using only kanjis, logograms, was too difficult, so they invented other writing systems to make writing easier. Nowadays they only use kanjis to represent nouns, while verbs and other grammatical structures are written in Hiragana or Katakana, which are syllabaries.”  
A moment of silence followed her words, then a light, ironic “Nerd” was heard. She turned around just to see Konstantin smile at her. She knew he was just teasing her but she felt the need to reply that, as matter of fact, being a nerd was her job.  
"Touché" he said, then he took a look at the paper. "So, what does it say?"  
Lara's smile faded and her brows furrowed. She then scratched her head before reading the logographs again.  
"I don't know if it is my Aztec that is rusty or if my father didn't double check the sentence, but… it doesn't make much sense." She made a pause and gathered her thoughts, then a sudden realisation seemed to hit her.  
"Jungle. That symbol means jungle! Now it makes sense"  
She thought out loud, not realising that neither her son nor her lover had a clue of what she was talking about.  
"This character" she stated, pointing at the third logograph "means jungle. I wrongfully thought it meant milk, which didn't make any sense, since the rest of the phrase is something along the lines of 'where many warriors got lost'".  
"Warriors?" Konstantin asked, looking slightly worried.  
Lara nodded. "Yes. 'In the middle of the green jungle, where many warriors got lost, you will finally find what it is that you seek'" she translated on the spot and, immediately, she knew what her father was talking about. "The maze" she muttered, her eyes locking into Konstantin's blue ones.  
"Maze? What maze? We have a maze? That's cool! Where is it?!" Conrad was already jumping on the spot and his excitement was exactly what Lara was afraid of.  
When she was a child, she always used to hide in the maze and drive Winston insane and that was the main reason why she had never told Conrad about it. He was just like her when she was his age and she tried her best to prevent him from making her same mistakes.  
Lara sighed loudly and ran a hand over her face. Now what? If she brought Conrad inside the labyrinth, she knew he would hide in there in the future, but if she didn’t, he would get upset and probably throw a tantrum, which Lara was in no mood to bear.  
“Conrad” her lover’s voice made her curiously raise her gaze on him. “Come here.”  
His voice wasn’t angry or annoyed but their child hurried all the same. Once he was right in front of him, Konstantin rested a hand on his shoulder and looked right into his eyes.  
“The maze is really dangerous. Before we get there, I want you to promise me that you will listen to me and your mother. If we say stop, you stop. If we say jump, you ask how high. Got it?”  
Conrad nodded quickly, and Lara couldn’t help but wonder if he was sincere. He wasn’t a bad kid but he sure liked to get himself into trouble and the maze provided plenty of opportunity.  
“Good. Let’s go then.”  
Croft’s eyes narrowed a little as she exchanged a quick glance with the commander. She didn’t like the situation one bit and would’ve preferred to leave Conrad with Winston, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and trust her lover.

It didn’t take them long to get to the sundial in front of the maze and, once her eyes fell on the open gate, Lara’s mind immediately went back to her 9-year-old self. She remembered where every single turn lead to and where every statue or fountain was, and, despite her fear of losing Conrad, she was thrilled to be there again. She quickly passed over the gate and into the maze.  
But both her son and Konstantin seemed lost and, perhaps, even a bit afraid.  
“Follow me” she promptly said, as she walked down the central path. “If I translated the riddle correctly, the treasure should be straight ahead, in the Archer’s fountain.”  
That information seemed to disappoint her son, but Lara didn’t really care. She was actually glad that the riddle didn’t take them in some remote part of the labyrinth, where the chances of Conrad running off and getting lost where much higher.  
“Here we are” she said as soon as the second gate was behind her.  
Right in front of them stood an enormous fountain, with a marble Athenian warrior in each corner and an archer right in the middle, every single one of them holding a golden weapon. There was no water running but it was still an impressive sight, nonetheless.  
Croft took a minute to look around, her eyes wandering on the monument in front of her. In the midst of those bright, shining colours, it took her a while to notice the small, wooden box hidden in the fountain’s penumbra. When she finally did, she cautiously approached it, her brows furrowed.  
The box was in mint condition and it appeared to be quite new as well; there was no way  it had been sitting there for more than a decade. For a moment, she wondered if it actually was what she was looking for or if it was just an incredible coincidence.  
“Well? Go on. We didn’t come all this way for nothing” her lover encouraged her once he saw her second-guessing herself.  
Lara bit her bottom lip and hesitantly opened the box. Inside of it there was an ivory, blank envelope, which she opened with trembling hands. Could it really be a letter from her father? After all that time? A part of her had hoped but, once she took out the paper, she noticed that  just a single, short sentence was written on it.

“Visne mihi nubere?”

Lara blinked in confusion as she read those three words over and over again.  
“This doesn’t make any sense” she mumbled to herself in disbelief, a deep frown on her pale face.  
“What doesn’t?” Conrad immediately asked, quickly followed by her lover, who chimed in with a “Maybe there’s another clue in the box?”.  
Croft rubbed her forehead, confused, then she took another look at the box. To her surprise, there was in fact another thing in the box.

A ring. A silver ring shaped as a rose, with a diamond set in the middle.

Visne mihi nubere? Will you marry me?

Lara’s eyes widened in realisation and immediately, she turned to face Konstantin. And there he was, smirking proudly while their son moved his gaze from the one to the other, confused.  
“You… It was you” she whispered, incredulous. “When- How-...”  
Croft stopped mid-sentence, too surprised to actually think about anything clever to say. He got her. He got her good.  
“Winston gave me the idea. And a hand.” the commander replied and, even if there was a small smile on his lips, Lara couldn’t help but notice that he seemed nervous. “So?”  
“So what?” she asked, too overwhelmed to put the pieces together.  
“Will you-” Konstantin didn’t get the chance to finish the sentence. As soon as Croft heard those two words, her brain jump-started.  
“Oh, right. Yes. Yes, of course” she quickly replied, giggling like a little girl. “Was that even a question?!”  
Konstantin’s smile widened a little at her words, then he gently took the ring from her hand and slid it on her finger.  
“Just wanted to be sure” he murmured before hurriedly pulling her into a kiss, his hand softly moving on the back of her neck.  
It felt like heaven. Lara never fancied the idea of getting married but in that moment, it felt like the only thing she actually wanted. Lara Croft. Lara Miller. Or Lara Croft-Miller. They all had a wonderful sound to her ears.

“Ew” and that single sound was enough to pull her back to reality. She quickly took a step back, embarrassed and smiled shyly at her son. “You guys are gross.” Conrad added, making her burst into laughter.

Well, reality may not be heaven, but in that moment it sure got pretty close to it.

  
  


**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A chair in hell](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17923514) by [eintausendschoen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eintausendschoen/pseuds/eintausendschoen)




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